The present invention relates to welding apparatus which is particularly suited to welding studs to a panel, and more particularly to a stud welding tool which allows the operator to weld studs in locations which are generally inaccessible to prior art devices of this type.
One of the more common methods of attaching elements to a metal panel surface is through the use of studs which are welded to the surface providing either a threaded or T-shaped male fastening element protruding from the surface. These studs are generally applied by stud welding devices of the hand-held type. Typical of these devices are the units disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,645,419; 3,546,420; and 3,597,572, assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
The prior art stud welding guns referred to above have proven to be adequate for most operations wherein stud welding is employed, and this type of device has generally proven to be commercially successful. However, many applications are confronted where the stud is required to be applied normal to a surface having a limited access area above the surface due to related structure. Particularly in the area of automobile construction where trim is to be provided around the curved portions of relatively small window openings, the panel surface onto which the stud is to be welded is relatively inaccessible to a stud welding gun of the type found in the prior art, and commercially available. There are, therefore, many areas on an automotive body as well as in other constructions, which lend themselves to stud welding application, but have never been susceptible to such practice because of tool interference in the weld area.
The present invention, therefore, has as an object to provide a stud welding device which is capable of attaching studs to a work surface which area has heretofore been inaccessible to stud welding devices of the prior art.
A further object of the invention is to provide a stud welding device which is as simple in construction and lightweight, while achieving the aforementioned objective.